This invention in general relates to the detection of faults in a vehicle and, more particularly, to synchronous sampling of rotating elements in a fault detection system having audio analysis and a method of using the same.
A user of a vehicle may hear an unpleasant sound or feel a strange vibration while operating a vehicle. Most users of vehicles are not trained to know or recognize the source of such a sound or vibration and in many cases significant changes over longer periods of time are so subtle they go undetected. Many unpleasant sounds and strange vibrations are generated by faults of rotating elements in a vehicle such as the tires, the engine, the driveline, and the fan or blower of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Accordingly, there is also a need for aiding the user of a vehicle to identify the source of unpleasant sounds or strange vibrations in the vehicle.
Various systems have been employed for detecting faults on a vehicle. Existing systems require dedicated sensors outside the cabin of a vehicle for each component on the vehicle. These sensors are susceptible to fault over time due to exposure to corrosive and other harsh environments.
In the past, systems have considered using an audio transducer located in close proximity to a component susceptible to a fault. Such systems, however, require multiple audio transducers if there is a desire to monitor multiple components. Additionally, these audio transducers are susceptive to interference from sounds and vibrations of other components. Furthermore, the sensors themselves may be susceptible to corrosion and other faults if they are located in harsh environments.
Accordingly, further improvements are needed to known systems for the monitoring of multiple components on a vehicle. It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved procedure for detecting faults of rotating elements in a vehicle to overcome most, if not all, of the preceding problems.
One aspect of the present invention provides a fault detection system for determining whether a fault exists with a rotating element of a vehicle. The system includes a transducer, a diagnosis sampler, a sensor, and a controller. The transducer may be a microphone located in the vehicle for converting sounds to an electrical signal. The electrical signal includes a noise component generated from the rotating element. The diagnosis sampler is connected to the transducer and provides a sample of the electrical signal from the transducer to the controller. The sensor obtains data relating to the rotating element. The controller has functional aspects such as a synchronous resample, a spectrum analysis, and a fault detect. The synchronous resample has the capability of synchronizing the sample of the electrical signal with the data from the sensor to form a synchronized envelope. The spectrum analysis has the capability of forming a spectra from the synchronized envelope or the electrical signal, where the spectra is associated with the noise component generated from the rotating element. The fault detect has the capability of determining (from the formed spectra) whether the fault exists with the rotating element.
Another aspect of the present invention provides for detecting a fault associated with a rotating element in a vehicle. This can include: sampling an electrical signal from a transducer in the vehicle where the electrical signal comprises a noise component generated from the rotating element; synchronizing the electrical signal with data from a sensor associated with the rotating element to form a synchronized envelope associated with the rotating element; forming a spectra from the synchronized envelope where the spectra is associated with the noise component generated from the rotating element; and determining (from the formed spectra) whether a fault exists with the rotating element.
A further aspect of the present invention provides for detecting a fault associated with a plurality of rotating elements in a vehicle. This can include: sampling an electrical signal from a transducer in the vehicle where the electrical signal comprises a plurality of noise components generated from the rotating elements; synchronizing the electrical signal with data from a plurality of sensors associated with the rotating elements to form a synchronized envelope associated with each rotating element; forming a plurality of spectra from the synchronized envelopes where each spectra is associated with one of the noise components generated from the rotating elements; and determining (from each of the plurality of formed spectra) whether a fault exists with one of the rotating elements.